Hola chicas y chicos,
this is Radio Mikey again and this is probably my last feature about this trip to South America. Meanwhile I am back in Lima, writing a short update until I meet my friend Peter, who I owe so much for organising this whole journey, for a last Pisco Sour.
Tomorrow at 4 AM (once again) a transfer service will pick me up and take me to the airport. First flight leg to Bogota (arrival 9.10 in the morning) where I might meet the just-married Matt and his lovely wife again. The „big“ flight then is somewhat around 5 PM, taking me first to Paris and then to Vienna, where I will arrive Monday some time after noon. I hope I get some sleep during the flights, otherwise my students at the „Fachhochschule“ will have a hard time keeping me awake 😉
So what happened since my last update from the Colca Canyon and Arequipa?
The trip to Puno
Our first next station was Puno, THE major town at the Titicaca-Lake, at least on the Peruvian side of the lake (the other side belongs already to Bolivia). That said we had visited the main attractions of the town within 15 minutes: Plaza de Armas, Jiron de Lima (pedestrian zone, 3 blocks long). This place has really just one attraction: the lake. Since the boat trips to the lake, the islands and the indians only take place in the morning, we had to wait until the next day.
Next morning, we sat for breakfast at 6:50, eating and waiting for our tour guide that should pick us up at 7:30 (at least that was our information in our papers). At 7:35 then I asked the hotel clerk whether he knows something about the tour and if he could call the tour operator. The hotel staff was really nice and helpful, trying all sorts of telephone numbers from all possible phones, even private mobile phones. Finally they reached the tour operator who promised to look into the matter. At that point I guess it was 7.45. 15 minutes later they called back and said, they would send a taxi to pick us up and take us to the boat pier at another hotel. And so it was: we arrived at the other hotel and the pier just in the moment, when „our“ boat arrived (obviously it had departed from the main port already earlier). Anyway, we could see a student strike in the meantime and in the end, all was sorted out fine. We had a wonderful day first at the floating islands of the local indians and then later at Taquile Islands, again with local indians (but different tribe). The floating islands are really exactly that: about 1 m thick soil with reed upon them that floats! Each islands houses 7-20 families, depending on the islands size and how families get along with each other. Our guide told us, that on the island we visited there had once been 14 families. But then they quarreled over something, decided to leave each other and then they just cut the island in two halves. Really!
Later that day we visited Taquile Island, the island, where women spin and weave (ordinary you say?) and the men knit (not that ordinary any more, I would say). The boys there really start knitting at the age of 6, no bluff: we saw one at the pier when we left and he was already so good, he didn’t even had to concentrate on the work any more, was just watching the tourists which seemed to be much more interesting. And all the men are knitting there, even the chief.
The evening then was dedicated to… PIZZA!!! Yes, you read right: Pizza, the stuff from Italy. We just couldn’t stand any Peruvian food any more, even being it so diverse and good!
Cuzco & Machu Picchu
The following stop was already Cuzco, capital of the Inka empire. We reached the city in the late afternoon hours, after some 10 or 11 hrs on the bus, in between stopping 5 times to visit some sights on the way. Cuzco is, at least in the centre, really a beautiful town. I would call it the „St. Moritz of the Andes“ if there is something like that. Unfortunately we had only one night here initially, before next morning we continued our journey by train (guess when: exactly, 6 AM) to Aguas Calientes („Hot Waters“), the village at the bottom of Machu Picchu.
Machu Picchu then was gorgeous! We arrived at the village around 10 AM, where a hotel employee and our next tour guide were already waiting for us! We just handed over our luggage and then we already got into the bus to the city in the mountains. The rest of the afternoon we just kept being astonished. It is one thing to know Machu Picchu from photos, but it is something completely different standing there in reality and watching this ancient complex from above!
After hours of wandering around the houses with and without guide, we set out for our final task this afternoon: conquest the „Sun Gate“, the official entrance to the complex area when you would come via the Inka trail. That said, we actually had to go the Inka trail backwards for 1 hour to get to the gate which was right at the back of the mountain ridge. What a wonderful view from there as well: Machu Picchu at one side of the mountain, mountains and jungle at the other side!
The next day we still had time to see this (potential) world wonder for our own, taking the first bus at 5.30 in the morning. Well, we queued for the bus ticket at 5.30 (still darkness around us), and since many other people had the same idea we were not that „alone“ as we had imagined. However, at around 6.30 we were in the mountains, waiting for the sun to come up behind the mountains (though it was long light already). After we had enjoyed our time watching the area we decided to continue, what we could not do the previous day: to climb the Waynapicchu, the smaller brother of Machu Pichu. In fact, most people will know that smaller brother: it is the mountain peak in front of the city, just to the right.
It took us one hour to get up there and that was a hard earned victory! Mountain walls falling nearly straight down, irregular stones and steps, sometimes narrow passages and all that on the shadow side of the mountain. We were really happy when we reached the top and could enjoy the view from a rather uncommon side!!! And we had reached the top already at around 8.45! At 9.30 we started to descend again which was just in time: it began to rain soon after we left the buildings on the top and we were so glad that we already returned when others only began to climb up there in the rain, this time with steps and stones definitely being much more slippery. After a short break in one of the temples (the building had a roof) we decided to go for a coffee and wait until the rain ends. Later we changed that plan into „let’s go to town and do something there until the rain ends“.
So we sat there in town, more or less completely wet, first in a restaurant with quite some draft, then in a more windstill one, and hat some hot drinks and some food, just to pass the time somehow. Our train back to Cuzco was scheduled only for 3.55 PM, so we still had enough time to wander around. With our luggage, that we had picked up in the hotel in the meantime, we were strolling around the local artisan market, inquiring for some blankets we had seen the day before in Cuzco. Here they (initially) cost only 70.- instead of the 85.- we had been given in the capital as initial price. And while in Cuzco we had bargained for 72.- as price, Babsi could argue the price down to 62.- here (and that was only because we said „60.-“ when being asked for our price idea). So Babsi and Marlon bought a blanket and then our return trip started.
And what a trip it was: Not only lasted it a bit longer than to get here, but the train staff was really eager to distract the passengers while in journey: we all know the snack and drinks stuff from flights and sometimes trains, but have you ever come across a local mystical figure being introduced in a train or flight so far? No? We have, and the fun really only began, when we were introduced to a so-called traditional dance, performed by that mystical figure. But that wasn’t the highlight of today’s train ride! The best thing was, when the train staff offered a „Alpaca Fashion Show“!!! Yes, you read right: a fashion show in the aisle of the train, performed by the conductors. Quite a fun and at least the girl was quite apart to look at 😉
However we were very glad when we finally arrived in Cuzco again, were taken to the hotel, could change clothes and go out again. First stop: Laundry, picking up the clothes we had put there two days ago. Second stop: Desperate shopping, at least we tried. Unfortunately, all the shops had already closed or were just closing down, so there was just one last thing to do: EAT, grab dinner, go for Cuy (i.e. „Meerschweinchen“) and stuffed spicy rocoto („Paprika“, but not the nice sort we have in Austria). Lucy, I bet, this stuff here holds up in a contest against your mom’s crops 😉
Finally, today is time for goodbye: First from Marlon and Babsi, who stayed in Cuzco and will head for the jungle tomorrow, and soon also from Peter, and then from this holiday at all.
But before that hour strikes, there’s one last thing to do:
Grab another Pisco Sour!
So I say farewell to you, my true and lovely readers, but only for now and only for this journey. We will see each other soon again and then it might be time for filling you up with all those little details, I couldn’t express here (and in which you weren’t interested anyway 😉 ).
Cheers, yours truly
Michael